RECENT AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

2011 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification: Plymouth State University’s commitment to volunteerism and community efforts has been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation. One of only 311 schools nationwide to be so recognized, PSU has been added to the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a category that defines community engagement as “the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities . . . for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.” According to Carnegie, PSU was honored for “excellent alignment of mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.” The classification indicates that teaching, learning, and research enhance the well-being of the region through, for example, application of knowledge to economic development.

2010 Princeton Review Guide to 286 Green Colleges: PSU’s efforts in becoming environmentally sustainable have earned it a place in a selective ranking of the country’s greenest colleges. The guide is an in-depth look at the most environmentally friendly institutions of higher learning nationwide, and according to the Review, PSU has demonstrated “commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities and initiatives.”

2010 Business NH Magazine – One of the 5 best large companies to work for in NH: PSU is the first educational institution to be included in the “Best Large Companies” ranking. The criteria included employee satisfaction within the workplace and innovative workplace programs and benefits. PSU employees share commitment to our mission of student success.

The New Hampshire Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve honored PSU with the “Above and Beyond” award for its support of the National Guard and Reserve. PSU was cited as a longtime supporter of uniformed military members, whether student, faculty or staff, through its policies and programs, and the newly situated Veterans Common recognizing student and alumni veterans.

Parade Magazine listed PSU as one of the 20 best small public colleges and universities in the nation, as rated by high school guidance counselors across the country.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

ALLWell Phase 1, Ice Arena and Welcome Center: According to a third-party economic development report, the facility means 17 ongoing jobs and $2.3M annually for the area economy.

PSU develops new programs to meet the needs of the state: Between 2009 and 2011, new programs in Sales Leadership, Sports Management, and Nursing among others were developed. These three programs will create 11.5 new fulltime jobs in Plymouth and generate $740,000 in earnings, which in turn will be spent in the region.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (CONT)

Business Incubator/Accelerator: PSU and the Grafton County Economic Development Council have announced a partnership to develop a Business Incubator/Accelerator. The Business Enterprise Center at Plymouth will assist in the launch of new businesses and provide support to help them grow into financially viable companies. The center will serve a variety of businesses, with a focus on “green business,” with intellectual expertise from the College of Business Administration and the Small Business Institute.

PSU’s Small Business Institute: For decades, MBA students have provided pro bono consulting and actionable reports to assist businesses in transitioning to the next level of growth. These award-winning teams have helped over 300 businesses, with recent examples including the prevention of the loss of 450 jobs and addition of 30 jobs for a North Country company and increased revenues and additional jobs for a southern-tier company.

RESEARCH

PSU generates approximately $2.6M dollars annually through grant support of research and innovation. In 2010, PSU received a biomedical research grant consisting of $1.5M that was awarded to PSU from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The award is part of NIH’s INBRE (IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence) program. INBRE provides support in an effort to build infrastructure and enhance competitive research. PSU is part of a 10-campus INBRE project in New Hampshire.

INTELLECTUAL RESOURCES TO SERVE THE REGION

Students and faculty from the Center for Rural Partnerships, the Center for the Environment, and the Institute for

New Hampshire Studies committed thousands of hours of time and expertise to the benefit of New Hampshire.

Created a new informational tool to help bolster the economy in northern New Hampshire. The North Country Economic Index (NCEI) is a periodic index containing detailed information about the economic climate in Coos County and northern New Hampshire. The NCEI will initially cover Coos County, but Carroll and Grafton counties will be included in future reports.

Developed a tourism marketing plan for Central New Hampshire.

Developed a plan for “Retrotours” along Route 3 in New Hampshire for the NH Division of Travel and Tourism.

Collaborated with North Country Resource Conservation & Development Area Council, the Northern Forest Center, UNH Cooperative Extension, the Biomass Energy Resource Center, and Yellowwood Associates to develop a decision-making tool for communities to help them assess opportunities for community-scale biomass energy.

Developed a rural impact assessment for a proposed BALSAMS North Country Film Festival.

Developed environmental science curriculum for the Remmick Museum.

Conducted an economic impact and opportunity assessment of ecotourism for business leaders in the town of Henniker.

Developed communication, social media and Web content for the Centennial Celebration of the Weeks Act, working on behalf of the White Mountain National Forest, the NH Department of Resources and Economic Development, Weeks State Park Association, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and the PSU Museum of the White Mountains.

Developed a rural impact assessment on behalf of the Women’s Rural Entrepreneurial Network in Bethlehem.

Collaborated with University of Vermont Cooperative Extension to help farmer and agritourism operators in Vermont and New Hampshire to improve their capacity and knowledge for food safety.

Conducted research and prepared a short film on W.R. Brown and the history of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association on behalf of that organization.

Worked on varied water quality projects, from protecting the drinking water for the Town of Canaan to monitoring lakes in the North Country. The Center for the Environment has also been part of developing Every Acre Counts: the Newfound Watershed Master Plan.

Facilitated workshops on transportation infrastructure to assess alternative transportation in the White Mountain National Forest.

As a regional comprehensive university, Plymouth State University serves New Hampshire and New England by preparing well-educated graduates; by offering ongoing opportunities for graduate education and professional development; and by extending to communities partnership opportunities for cultural enrichment and economic development. In each of these roles, Plymouth State University has a special commitment of service to the North Country and Lakes Region of New Hampshire.

In Plymouth Magazine

Where can you get a close look at a photo of Babe Ruth standing in front of the Draper and Maynard Building, peruse a 1905 copy of Plymouth Normal School’s literary magazine The Prospect, and examine an aerial view of Plymouth State’s campus in 1960? Thanks to PSU’s digital repository, these historical treasures—along with 15,000 […]

When Trish Lindberg was a 17-year-old musician, artist, and actor, her mother—a teacher herself—told her she would make a great teacher. Lindberg looked her mother right in the eye and said, “I will never be a teacher!” Mother Knows Best Decades later, Lindberg, now a Carnegie Foundation NH Professor of the Year, a recipient of […]